Passport Shenanigans (HLVRAI Fanfic)

Guard Continues to Harass Scientist Over Passport

Gordon brushed passed the raccoon guard and quickly made his way through the door and into the hall. The shifty guard was quick to follow, and kept at Gordon's tail as he quickly walked towards the locker room. But just before he reached it, a dog dressed in a white lab coat jumped out in front of him, tail wagging excitedly.

"Hi!" The dog yipped happily in a childish voice that startled Gordon. "I'm Tommy!"

"Uh..." Gordon was surprised at the sudden appearance of a co worker he had never met before. "Hi Tommy... what department are you from? Where are you supposed to be?"

"I'm on lunch break!" Tommy exclaimed. "I'm going to the break room! I like reading the billboards in there!"

"But it's like nine in the morning?" Gordon was surprised by Tommy's whole existence and furrowed his brows in confusion. "And billboards? What?"

"Follow me!" Tommy barked excitedly before running back down the hall and effectively leaving Gordon no choice but to follow him.

Tommy swiftly led Gordon into the main floor break room that was thankfully on the way to the locker room. There were a few other scientists there, most of them drinking their morning coffee, and heating up cheap breakfast lasagna and sandwiches. Tommy didn't pay these scientists any mind, and instead made a beeline for the corkboard on the back wall of the break room. As he approached it, Tommy slowed himself down and pointed at the papers tacked to the board, barely giving Gordon a moment to catch his breath from the chase.

"Can you tell me what it says?" He asked, tilting his head like a curious puppy, which he kind of was. Gordon looked at the papers and was shocked to find that they were all unreadable. Last Gordon checked, he could read, but something was terribly wrong with these papers.

"Uh no? Sorry bud, I can't." Gordon was beginning to have a very strange feeling in his gut. Everything was just so strange today and the day had barely begun. "Look, Tommy, I have to go, I'm needed at the test chamber."

"Oh... yeah! I'll just enjoy my lunch break." Tommy nodded agreeably and as Gordon made his way towards the door, Tommy called out to him once more. "I drink soda for lunch!" The comment was bizarre but considering the cast of characters Gordon had already met, the scientist brushed it off and just made his way to the locker room. He was already late enough and he didn't have his HEV suit on yet, except he definitely did.

Gordon reached the entrance to the locker room without much more trouble. Even the weird racoon seemed to have lost him, but as Gordon crossed the threshold into the locker room, he was met with a familiar ferret.

"Hewwo Gordon!" The ferret greeted Gordon warmly with a large cheesy smile plastered to his snout. "Another day, another dollar, am I right?"

"Hi Dr. Coomer." Gordon responded, only slightly matching Coomer's enthusiasm. He was much too tired for any of this.

"You have a big test today, Dr. Freeman, you best get your HEV suit on!" Dr. Coomer pointed to a room that was connected to the locker room.

"Weirdly enough, Dr. Coomer, I already have my HEV suit on..." Gordon looked at his orange gloved hands and armored arms. He still didn't remember ever putting the HEV suit on.

"Go on, Dr. Freeman, don't dally! Put on your suit!" Dr. Coomer responded as if he hadn't heard what Gordon had already said.

Gordon frowned at the ferret, but said nothing more and his way into the HEV suit room. And just as he expected, the middle suit was already gone from it's place, but he stood in the machine anyways, just to make Dr. Coomer happy. Once he stepped out of the machine, Dr. Coomer was quick to usher him back out into the hall.

"Good luck today in the chamber!" Dr. Coomer declared as he shoved Gordon out of the locker room and directly into the shady racoon security guard.

"Bro, watch it." The racoon mumbled, backing away from Gordon. "Do you have your passport?"

"Really? Again with this?" Gordon sighed, but was already walking away.

"Well, if you don't have your passport, then I guess I'll just have to follow you then." The security guard shrugged and grinned to himself as if that was exactly what he wanted. Gordon ignored him and made his way to the elevator to go down further into Black Mesa, but before he got to the elevator doors, he turned to the guard.

"You do know where I'm going right?" Gordon asked him, eyeing his security guard outfit worriedly. "You don't have a HEV suit. There's going to be a ton of radiation."

"It's okay. I'm not normal." The security guard shrugged nonchalantly.

"Uhm... okay..." Gordon knew Black Mesa was up to some freaky things, but he didn't expect that. "Anyways... we're getting on the elevator to go down I think like three floors?" Gordon shook his head, puzzled at the racoon's response.

"I don't think you know where you're going." The racoon stated as if what he said was fact. "Is that why you don't have your passport?"

"I'm going to the test chamber." Gordon answered curtly, not really feeling up to arguing with the guard.

"Are you supposed to be there?" The guard asked as he moved to block Gordon from entering the elevator.

"Yes, I'm supposed to go there, it's my job!" Gordon could feel a growl enter his voice as he spoke. This racoon was gonna drive him mad. "Can you please move out of the way?"

"Why are you yelling at me?" The racoon asked in a genuinely hurt manner. "Do you have any form of ID?"

"Look, I have as much ID as I'm ever going to have." Gordon growled in response, unable to get into the elevator. "Can you please get out of my way? I'm late to the test chamber, and I can't get on the elevator with you standing there!"

The guard narrowed his yellow eyes at Gordon for a moment and regarded him coldly before stepping back into the elevator and letting Gordon on. As the lion got onto the elevator, it began to go down.

"It would be faster if you jumped down." The guard grumbled, crossing his arms.

"What?" Gordon was taken back by the sudden passive aggressive remark. "I mean you're technically not wrong, but I think I'll save my legs the trouble."